There is no phoenix

The next day, Mrs. Wang went to Jiamu's place to say hello.When Jia's mother asked about the Xue family, Mrs. Wang didn't hide it, she said it one by one.Jia Mu said: "Thanks to your ability to talk, you persuaded the two couples. It's not easy for the aunt and wife. If you don't drag the eldest son and the daughter, you should enjoy the blessings now, but the couple often make trouble like this. It's the last time this happened."

Mother Jia asked about Baochai's sprained foot again. Mrs. Wang said, "Old lady, there are fewer people in the garden now, so the stone steps are covered with moss and slippery easily. I also heard that there is a woman When I was cleaning the steps at Changcui Temple, I almost slipped and fell into the pond. Old lady, so I also hope that Baoyu Baotou will move here again, and it will be more convenient for us girls to talk together."

Jia Mu nodded and said: "You are right. Now in the garden, there are only a few more people living in Baoyubao in Yihongyuan and Lan Xiaozi in Daoxiang Village. There are no other masters. How can those girls not be lazy? I don't know Baoyu When is the girl willing to move back?"

Mrs. Wang hurriedly said: "Bao girl said that she will not decide until Baoyu comes back and asks!"

Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Jia were talking, when Qiuwen, a girl from Yihong Courtyard, came over and said, "Old lady, lady, Second Grandma Bao wants me to tell you that she is much better now, but she still hurts a little when she walks. I didn’t come here until tomorrow to say hello to you. The second grandma Bao also said that the second master Bao didn’t want to move here, saying that the garden over there is more spacious, so you can study more quietly. So the second grandma Bao said, then don’t move back to live gone."

After hearing this, Jia Mu had no choice but to order: "You Yihong Courtyard must be more careful when serving people in the future. If you do this again in the future, I will not forgive you!"

After hearing this, Qiu Wen quickly responded: "Don't worry, old lady, Mrs. Lin has asked someone to clean up the road leading to this side of the garden again, and sand has been sprinkled on the place where there is moss, and the slaves will definitely serve them carefully in the future."

Jia Mu said: "You are young, how do you know these things are so powerful. Now there is no good thing for Bao girl. If there is a good thing, how can you get it if you fall like this?"

Mrs. Wang said: "Don't worry, old lady, I will let Zhou Rui's family and Wu Dengxin's family go to the garden again tomorrow, and clean up the roads that they often walk."

Not long after Qiuwen left, Sister Feng and Hepinger came to say hello.Seeing that Sister Feng had lost a lot of weight, Mother Jia asked with concern: "Young girl Feng, you have been resting for more than a year. Are you feeling better now?"

Sister Feng hurriedly said: "Old lady, it's better now, because I hired a gentleman to teach Qiao, so there are fewer visits, old lady, don't blame me."

After hearing this, Mother Jia sighed: "Girl Feng, I know you are smart. Over the past year, your temperament has changed. It turns out that as long as you come, before the people arrive, the laughter comes first. I think Now you are all the same as Lin Zhixiao's family, you don't want to ask and don't want to tell me, tell me honestly, is it because you hate Lian'er in your heart that you are a little ruthless?"

After hearing this, Sister Feng put on a forced smile and said, "Old lady, why do I hate Second Master Lian so much? I think I really need to change my original temperament. I haven't come here for so many days, and I didn't expect my old My wife has changed her temperament, and she is more talkative and happy than before, so I am relieved."

Jia's mother was a little puzzled and asked: "Girl Feng, there are no outsiders here, you have to tell me the truth, are you really not blaming Lian'er?"

Sister Feng hurriedly said: "Old lady, although I haven't studied, I still know the basic principles of being a human being. Now the second master Lian is an official family, and only a country can have a family. How dare I blame him."

Jia's mother said: "Don't worry, Feng girl, I will make the decision for you. If Lian'er does not reply by the end of this month, we will send a reliable person to Chang'an County to have a look. If Lian'er is fine there, he does not want to come back. You two, Pinger, go to him and exchange Qiutong back!"

Sister Feng hurriedly said: "Old lady, I don't think it's necessary. If Second Master Lian still thinks about me, Heping'er, he will naturally come back to take a look. He doesn't want to come back, which means that he prefers to be with Qiutong over there. I don't want me, Ping'er, to disturb him. If I, Ping'er, lose his place so recklessly, wouldn't I send him to my door to be bored? At that time, I, Ping'er, will have no face, and Second Master Lian will also be embarrassed. Those colleagues will know sooner or later. Don't make people laugh?"

When Jia Mu heard this, she could only sigh and said, "But girl Feng, sister Qiao is nine years old now, and it's time for you to have a baby. If Lian'er doesn't come back, you don't go, how can you have a baby?"

The ladies were talking when they saw a young man saying back and forth: "Old lady, madam, Second Grandma, Second Master Lian from Chang'an County has a letter!" After finishing speaking, he submitted a letter.

Sister Feng took the letter, looked at it, and her complexion suddenly changed. Seeing that Mrs. Jiamu Wang was looking forward to seeing her, she had to hand the letter to Jiamu, who then asked Yuanyang to read the letter.

Yuanyang looked at the letter, then looked up at Sister Feng, seeing that her face had regained her composure, so she lowered her head and read Jia Lian's letter.Mother Jia liked it, and smiled in surprise: "Qiutong is happy? This is a good thing, and finally a good thing has come!"

Seeing that there was no joy on Sister Feng's face, Mother Jia stopped laughing, looked at Sister Feng and said, "It's been so long since Lian'er came to write such a letter, but people don't come back to read it. He's just unfilial! Don't worry, Feng girl, When Qiutong is four months old, I will ask Lian'er to send Qiutong back, and you and Ping'er will go to Chang'an County."

Mrs. Wang nodded and said: "The old lady is right, and it should be like this. At the beginning, she was only busy with Baoyu's marriage, so she didn't let Feng girl go."

Sister Feng saw Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang purely to comfort herself, and hurriedly said: "Old lady, madam, don't think about this for me. I am already a wicked woman. If you let Qiutong come back, if something goes wrong on the road, say It’s my fault again. Madam, ma’am, don’t worry, I don’t care about these things. I don’t think about anything else now, I can stay at home like this, and I can still try to be clean. I just want to take good care of my sister Qiao. It’s good that sister isn’t like me!”

However, at this time, in Chengde Hall of the imperial palace, the emperor Shui Ruoyang, who had just come to court not long ago, was summoning Shui Rong Liu Xianglian and others who were about to go to Ping'an Prefecture.

In addition to Liu Xianglian, Li Lei, and Li Xun Shui'an, the people selected by Shui Rong this time are also a middle-aged deputy general Lin Qiyun who was picked from the Jingxi Army Camp, who was also a subordinate of the former King of Beijing Shui Ruoning. This time he was also recommended by Shui Ruoning. Xiao Ning and Zheng Rui were picked up by the imperial guards.Among the eight people, except for Lin Qiyun, they are all young people who have not yet married.

Shui Ruoyang looked at the eight people selected by Shui Rong, they were all young and tall, with a heroic spirit.So he instructed Shui Rong and others: "You guys go to Ping'an Prefecture, don't disturb the local government. If you have an idea, if there are few people, immediately send a letter back to the imperial guards. I will let the crown prince and Feng Ziying choose fifty good men I am ready for you to call at any time. If you can catch the bandit leader yourself, don’t send him to Ping’an Prefecture, but take him directly to the capital, and I will personally investigate and convict him!”

Everyone agreed loudly.

Shui Ruoyang said to Lin Qiyun again: "General Lin, I heard that King Beijing said that you were an escort. You are older and have more experience. This time, I need to mention young princes and others!"

Lin Qiyun hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I will do my best!"

Shui Ruoyang looked at the chivalrous Liu Xianglian again and said: "Liu Xianglian, Ziying and Rong'er have told me about you. Although you don't have a job right now, from today onwards, you are the Imperial Guard The identity of the guard. I know that you have fought against the bandits in Ping'an Province, and you are familiar with the mountain terrain there. You must do your best to assist the young prince in investigating the bandits. If the eight of you can solve the bandits in Ping'an Province this time, come back and discuss together Rewards for meritorious deeds. Don't worry, I know that several of you will participate in the selection of the imperial guards. The selection time is still more than a month away, so you should not be missed. This time, it is also the same as the imperial guard's duty. It's time to practice! Other things, you all follow the arrangements of the young prince and General Lin!"

Liu Xianglian and several others said in unison: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do my best!"

Coming out of Chengde Hall, Shui Rong took a few people to the imperial guard camp to choose mounts, and made an appointment to go to Ping'an Prefecture together on the next day.

On the early morning of March [-]th, Shui Rong, Liu Xianglian, Li Lei and other eight people changed into casual clothes, left the capital on horseback, and headed straight for Ping'an Prefecture.

After walking for more than an hour, Lin Qiyun said: "Mr. Shui, we are going to investigate. When we get close to Ping'an Prefecture, we should not take the official road. We will go to Chang'an County by the small road first. I don't know what to do?"

Shui Rong nodded and said: "From what we know now, that group of people must be related to Chang'an County, so let's go to Chang'an County first."

Liu Xianglian said: "My aunt used to live in a place called Ping'an Town at the junction of Ping'an Prefecture and Chang'an County. A few years ago, the imperial merchant Xue Pan was in a forest in that place, and met a group of strong men who robbed her property .I fought these strong men, and they weren't very good at that time. We might as well go to that town first."

Lin Qiyun also said after hearing this: "I used to go to Ping'an Town when I was a bodyguard. It is a place where passing merchants must pass. If bandits often rob merchants, there must be some clues."

After hearing this, Shui Rong thought it was feasible, so they rode their horses towards Ping'an Town.

After walking for five or six days, I saw a village in the distance.Liu Xianglian said: "Mr. Shui, there is Ping'an Town not far ahead, Chang'an County and Ping'an Prefecture, as well as traders who come to the capital from the south, most of them will stop in that town, we should find an inn to stay first, and then Make calculations!"

Shui Rong nodded and said: "Although it is a small town at the junction of the two places, there are always people coming and going. Let's find out the situation first, and then think of the next way to do things. We are called brothers when we go out. If someone asks, we will say that we are companions." This shopkeeper Lin went to the southwest to sell goods."

Lin Qiyun nodded with a smile.A group of people walked for more than half an hour, and they saw a small town.A few people got off their horses and walked for a while, and saw that although this Ping'an town is not big, there are also hundreds of shops and shops, with cars and people coming and going, which is quite lively.

A group of people came to a fork in the first street, Liu Xianglian said: "These two streets lead to Ping'an Prefecture to the north, and Chang'an Mansion to the south. Which direction does Mr. Shui say to find the inn?"

Shui Rong looked at Lin Qiyun and said, "Shopkeeper Lin, what do you think?"

Lin Qiyun said: "If you want to inquire about news, you should look for a place with many teahouses and wine shops in the alleyway. Since Xianglian has been here, what do you think is appropriate?"

Liu Xianglian said: "Then let's find an inn on this street. Generally, vendors who go to the capital will live in this street. Vendors who want to go south will rest on that street."

So a few people walked back.

Shui Rong saw an inn called "Qingfeng Inn", and asked Liu Xianglian, "Xianglian, what do you think of this inn?"

Liu Xianglian looked at it, nodded and said, "I think it's okay."

Shui'an and Li Lei said: "Let's go in and ask first. Master Shui, shopkeeper Lin, wait here for a while."

After a while, Shui'an came out and said: "I think this inn is good, the yard at the back is big, and our horses can be settled easily." So they got off their horses and went in.

Seeing that the seven or eight people in Shui Rong were good looking, the shopkeeper came out to welcome them in, and asked Xiaoer to put their horses in.

Shui Rong and his party were led to a wing room upstairs, Liu Xianglian made way for four connected rooms, and everyone put down their burdens, Liu Xianglian said: "It's almost noon now, why don't you guys have dinner here first, and wait a while after eating?" Rest for a while. I will go out alone to find out the situation here, I haven't been here for several years."

Shui Rong hurriedly said: "Xianglian, why don't you go after eating!"

Liu Xianglian said with a smile: "Master Shui, if you want to inquire, you have to drink tea and eat outside, which is more convenient for inquiring."

After hearing this, Shui Rong smiled and said, "That's true, then be careful."

Li Xun stood up and said, "If only I would go with Xianglian."

Lin Qiyun nodded and said: "It's better to be two people, so you don't attract attention when you go to a tavern or a teahouse."

Liu Xianglian thought for a while, nodded, took her saber and walked out with Li Xun.

At Shen Shi, Shui Rong and Lin Qiyun were discussing matters in the room, and Liu Xianglian and Li Xun came back.Shui Rong hurriedly asked about the situation, and Liu Xianglian said: "There have been many robberies of merchants in the direction of the capital, and a silk merchant was also robbed in the direction of Chang'an County, so there are more young and middle-aged people in this town. Hired by merchants to escort goods in case they are hijacked."

Shui Rong listened and said: "If that's the case, it means that the bandits are in this area. Let's have a good rest tonight. Every morning, the eight of us will divide into two and go out to inquire about the news separately to see if there is any more detailed information. .”

Lin Qiyun said: "That's all. We just came here today, so everyone should take a rest first. Although I have been here before, I am not familiar with it. Liu Xianglian is familiar with it, and it has been a few years. Let's take a rest and investigate again."

Chunguang is prone to sleepiness, Shui Rong saw that Liu Xianglian and Li Xun hadn't rested, they were full of wind and dust, nodded hurriedly and said: "As shopkeeper Yilin said, let's take a good rest today, if it is convenient in the evening, we will split up and go to the teahouse near this inn Let’s explore again.”

After dinner, because Shui Rong and Liu Xianglian lived in the same room, they discussed with Liu Xianglian: "Xianglian, I thought about it, most of the passing merchants will rest here, and those robbers can often succeed in robbery, which means that they are investigating. The news is very clear. Xianglian, do you think those bandits often come here to inquire about the situation of merchants?"

Liu Xianglian thought for a while and said, "You're right, why don't I go outside now?"

Shui Rong said: "The two of us are going together! Xianglian, go over and tell shopkeeper Lin that if everyone wants to go out, at least two of them must be together. Don't come back too late, and don't reveal our identities."

After explaining everything, Shui Rong and Liu Xianglian tidied up, and then went downstairs together. Seeing that Shui Rong Liu Xianglian was going out, the innkeeper hurriedly said with a smile: "You two young masters, I don't know where you want to go shopping?"

Liu Xianglian hurriedly asked: "Dare to ask the shopkeeper, which teahouse in Ping'an Town is the most lively at night?"

The shopkeeper said with a smile: "It's spring now, and many people come out for supper. From here to the east, there is a tea tasting restaurant. It is very lively at night, and most of the passing guests will go there. You can enjoy tea and listen to operas there." There are both southern accents and northern tunes, and it is the most lively place in Ping'an Town at night."

After hearing this, Shui Rong smiled and said, "Thank you shopkeeper, the two of us are looking for a place like this for supper."

Shui Rong and Liu Xianglian then went to where the shopkeeper said.

Liu Xianglian said to Shui Rong: "Speaking of listening to operas, let me tell you the truth, Mr. Shui, I not only like to listen, but also like to go on stage to join in the fun. I have been on stage with Qiguan many times."

Shui Rong smiled and said: "Xianglian, I didn't expect you to be able to do this, no wonder your flute is so good."

Liu Xianglian said: "I don't know why, except for reading and writing, dancing with guns and swords, playing and singing, it seems that I like listening to it and watching it very much."

Shui Rong said: "Everyone's preferences are definitely not the same. My elder brother, my father said, liked to read and write since he was a child, and I liked to wield knives and guns since I was sensible. My mother said, why are we brothers? There is such a big difference in temperament."

After hearing this, Liu Xianglian also sighed: "Speaking of my brother, I am also like this. My father likes to dance with guns and swords, and I like it since I was a child, but my brother doesn't like it. My brother is very good at doing housework, and he never gets tired of doing housework. After my parents left, my brother did all the housework. I don’t know how to cook, do laundry and do shopping. Now that I think about it, it’s nice to have an older brother. They wandered around like wild horses, and they would not be left with nothing to this day."

To know what happened next, read below.